MASS SPECTROMETRY STUDIES OF THERIAC FROM 'SPEZIERIA DI SANTA MARIA DELLA SCALA' (ROME): MODERN TECHNOLOGIES TO LEARN FROM THE PAST

摘要

Theriac, a thick sticky liquid medicine, until the mid 18th century was regarded as universal panacea and was used to treat infectious diseases or poisonings. Theriac contained up to seventy different often exotic ingredients. The production of a proper Theriac took months and it was supposed to be left to mature for years [1] [2]! Here the first approach to study the composition of an ancient Theriac sample from the "Spezieria di Santa Maria della Scala" (Rome) is presented.